Front Wheel Lifts or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Rocks

Mountain biking in Moab could be described in one word: rocky. Whether they are smooth or chunky, sloped or ledgy, our terrain is pretty much the rockiest stuff out there. Navigating all these rocks can be a challenge if you are new to it, but with a couple small tricks in your kit, you can smooth out the terrain with ease.

By far my favorite skills, and quintessential to Moab riding, are the ‘Front wheel lifts.’ These simple foundational skills are a more subtle and subdued version of the ‘Manual’ and ‘Wheelie’ that you may remember from childhood or have seen performed by a daredevil in some internet video (or by me pretty much constantly on trail).

By loading your bike’s suspension and utilizing the bike’s springs you can lift your front wheel up over a rock or obstacle, avoid smashing into the rocks and begin to smooth out the trail. I will discuss two different techniques, one for downhill and one for climbing.

The Basic Front Wheel Lift

The Basic Front Wheel Lift is used when you are coasting downhill. Standing with your pedals level in a tall, Ready Position, drop your hips and torso straight down and stomp into the pedals to compress your suspension. This is called “preloading.” Then, explode back up and allow your front wheel to lift off the ground.

Input force will match the outcome, so the harder you can stomp, the higher you can lift your front wheel. It should be noticed that there hasn’t been any mention of pulling back on the handlebar — it’s important that this be movement initiated through the feet, as pulling on the bars will result in some sideways janky-yank.

I use this technique constantly — to lift my tire onto rocks, span small holes, and, generally, to feel the flow of the trail. Practice is key so use it often and everywhere!

The Pedaling Front Wheel Lift

The second variety is a Pedaling Front Wheel Lift, which is used when seated and pedaling uphill. This technique is especially key to success on technical, ledgy trails such as Captain Ahab or Gold Bar Rim. Sometimes called a “quarter-turn punch,” getting the timing just right mid-pedal stroke is the most difficult part, so it is helpful to make it an isolated maneuver at first.

While seated, with your seatpost up, bring a pedal to just past top-dead center (or about 1 O’clock if viewed from the right-hand side of the bike.) Lean your chest towards the bars to preload, and in a single movement punch the pedals, extend your arms, and lift your chest up. This should lift your front wheel off the ground and over that square-edged rock.

The Pedaling Front Wheel Lift is definitely a mini-wheelie, but in this case, we aren’t trying to hold the front wheel up, just trying to pop it over a rock. As a bonus, once your wheel is on the rock, shift your weight forward and your rear wheel will come along for the ride. An important consideration is to always cover the rear brake lever with your finger, as that will be your emergency stop lever and will bring your wheel back down ASAP.

I hope you can integrate these skills into your riding, and if you would like to get pointers in person, come ride with us at Rim Tours. Most all our guides are certified Mountain Bike Instructors. Speaking from my own experience, it is truly one of my greatest passions to share these skills with our guests for a safer, more fun ride.

The only skills instruction specific company in Moab, they are certified mountain bike Instructors and are passionate about sharing their knowledge. Moab Mountain Bike Instruction is a group of talented riders who are eager to increase your confidence, skill and fun on the bike. Their leaders are Sylvi Fae and Wendy Palmer, veteran instructors with an extensive background in riding and teaching.

Rim Tours

Multi-Day Tour Skill Levels

Our tours range from moderate to intermediate to advanced in difficulty and the trail surfaces may be dirt road, 4wd routes and/or singletrack. Please make sure you are not choosing a tour that is too difficult for your skill level. Call our office if you have questions.
Moderate Rating: Suitable for riders with an average to good fitness level who engage in some form of regular exercise and are comfortable riding a bike for 2+ hours. Hills and descents are typically of short duration and longer steeper pitches can be easily walked. Trail surfaces will vary and change with occasional obstacles on trail (rocks, roots, sand) that can be either ridden or walked. We strongly recommend training for your tour by getting on a bike as much as possible to get your butt used to the bike seat!
Intermediate Rating: Suitable for riders with good to excellent fitness level. Previous mountain bike experience is recommended. Trail surfaces may include uneven terrain and narrow trails, singletrack, with occasional obstacles (roots, rocks, sand). Hills and descents are moderate to strenuous and require some skill. Riders with minimal mountain bike experience but who have road biking skills or a strong fitness level along with an adventurous spirit may be suitable for an intermediate tour. Note: Challenging Intermediate Tours require more mountain biking experience due to consistently more challenging terrain.
Advanced Rating: Suitable for experienced mountain bikers only with excellent fitness and strong bike handling skills. Riding is primarily on rugged 4wd doubletrack with frequent obstacles or high elevation singletrack. Sections of trail can be very challenging with frequent ascents and descents of significant length. Most of our advanced level tours are located at elevations ranging from 8,000 to 12,000 feet where trail conditions can change rapidly due to weather conditions and thunderstorms.
Singletrack Tours: Singletrack trails add an element of technical difficulty because of the narrowness of the trails. If you are considering an intermediate or advanced singletrack trip, previous experience riding singletrack trails is essential.

Day Tour Skill Levels

Our tours range from EASY to MODERATE to INTERMEDIATE to ADVANCED in difficulty. We are happy to discuss what tours are appropriate for your experience. Please make sure you are not choosing a tour that is too difficult for your skill level.
Easy: Tours are suitable for beginner and above riders who are comfortable riding a bike including children provided they can use hand brakes. A moderate fitness level is essential to your enjoyment of this activity. Trail surfaces are typically wider dirt roads which may have occasional obstacles that can be avoided or walked through. Hills will be of short duration and can easily be walked both up or down.
Moderate Rating: Tours are suitable for beginner and above riders with an average to good fitness level that engage in some form of regular exercise. Hills and descents are typically of short duration and longer steeper pitches can be easily walked. Trail surfaces will vary from dirt roads to 4wd and easy singletrack with occasional obstacles on trail (rocks, roots, sand) that can be either ridden or walked.
Intermediate Rating: Tours are suitable for riders with good to excellent fitness level. Previous mountain bike experience is recommended. Trail surfaces may include uneven terrain and narrow trails, singletrack, with occasional obstacles (roots, rocks, sand). Hills and descents are moderate to strenuous and require some skill. Riders with minimal mountain bike experience but who have road biking skills or a strong fitness level, along with an adventurous spirit, should be suitable for an intermediate tour.
Advanced Rating: Tours are suitable for solid intermediate plus riders to experienced mountain bikers with excellent fitness and strong bike handling skills. Riding is primarily on rough doubletrack and singletrack with frequent obstacles. Sections of trail can be very challenging with frequent ascents and descents.
Singletrack Tours: Singletrack trails add an element of technical difficulty because of the narrowness of the trails. If you are considering an intermediate or advanced singletrack tour, previous experience riding singletrack trails is essential.